Florida Basketball Shock: Gators’ Buzzer-Beater Upset Rockets Them Into March Madness Spotlight

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida basketball is peaking at the perfect time. The Gators secured their 20th win of the season with a 76-62 road victory over South Carolina, improving to 20-6 overall and 11-2 in the SEC, their best league start since 2014. Hot shooting has fueled the surge. After ranking near the bottom of Division I in three-point percentage through December, Florida has hit 41.3 % from deep in February, a turnaround head coach Todd Golden credits to cleaner ball movement and the emergence of sophomore sharpshooter Micah Handlogten. Handlogten drilled four triples in Columbia and is 18-for-36 in his last five outings. While the guards are stretching defenses, forward Rueben Chinyelu is dominating the paint. The 6-foot-11 sophomore now leads the nation at 11.8 rebounds per game and this week shattered Florida’s single-season rebounding record previously held by Al Horford. Chinyelu’s 18-rebound performance against the Gamecocks also marked his 17th double-double of the year. Oddsmakers have noticed. BetMGM moved Florida to +1150 to win the national championship, the fifth-shortest line in the country and best among SEC programs. With three regular-season games remaining, the Gators are chasing their first outright SEC title since 2014 and could enter March Madness as a top-three seed if they close strong. Key stretch ahead • Feb 29 vs. Tennessee (Senior Day) • Mar 4 at Kentucky • Mar 9 vs. LSU Winning two of the final three would lock up a double-bye in the SEC Tournament, scheduled for Mar 12-16 in Nashville. The Gators are 7-0 this season when holding opponents under 70 points and 13-1 when shooting at least 37 % from three, benchmarks Golden says will determine their postseason ceiling. Depth paying dividends Florida’s bench is outscoring opponents 27.4-17.1 per game in league play. Freshman combo guard Trey Donaldson has averaged 9.2 points and 4.8 assists in 21 minutes since January 20, giving the Gators another creator when veteran Riley Kugel rests. The increased depth has allowed Florida to push tempo; the team ranks 18th nationally in adjusted pace, up from 93rd a year ago. Recruiting bump Success on the floor is spilling onto the trail. Four-star wing CJ Jackson (Orlando) committed Thursday, citing Florida’s “NBA-style offense” and player-development track record. Jackson is the program’s third top-100 pledge in the 2026 class, vaulting the Gators to No. 7 in 247Sports’ rankings. What’s next Florida returns to Exactech Arena on Saturday looking to avenge a 71-68 January loss to Tennessee. A victory would give the Gators their first 10-game winning streak since the Billy Donovan era and keep them on track for a potential top-10 AP finish. With an explosive offense, an elite rebounder in Chinyelu and a defense rounding into form, Florida basketball has crashed the national conversation. If the Gators keep firing from deep, Gainesville could be bracing for its deepest March run in more than a decade.